The Firework Maker's Daughter
by DeliriousExpectations
Summary: Edward, a widower, is taking his daughter Erica to a firework display. Erica wants to know how fireworks are made, and a girl called Bella tells her. Cute One Shot for the Firework season : ExB forever. R


**A/N just an idea I had when I went to a firework display. Yes, I know I should be upsating other things but I'm sorry :) This was beggin to be written.**

**Oh, German translations at the bottom :)**

**Enjoy xx**

**The Firework Maker's Daughter**

"Erica, you can't go out like that, baby." My four year old daughter pouted her little green eyes at me. She was wearing a flowery sundress with a t-shirt underneath.

"Why not, Daddy?"

"Because you'll be cold, sweetpea. C'mon, let's get your coat on. And you can wear that scarf and hat Nanna and Gramps got you, okay?" I knew that would sweeten the deal. Anything pink will get Erica moving.

Ten minutes later, she was strapped securely into the backseat of my Volvo, wearing about thirty layers of clothing, and we were making our way through town.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to go see the fireworks, Erica. Remember?"

"Oh yeah, I remember now Daddy. Daddy... what's a firework?" I chuckled as I stopped at the traffic lights.

"A firework is like a big shining light in the sky. And you can get them in lots of pretty colours and they make big noises too."

"Wooow," she said in an awed voice. "Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Will Momma be there?" My grip tightened ever so tightly on the steering wheel and I winced.

"No, baby... Momma won't be there. Momma's gone away."

"When will she be back?" Jeez, how do you explain death to a four year old?

"She can't come back baby, she's not allowed."

"But I miss her."

"I know, I miss her too," I said as I parked. I turned around to look at her. "But d'you know what, Ricki-Roo? Momma will always be watching out for you. And when you really, really miss her, all you have to do is close your eyes and think about her. And she'll be thinking about you too." She bit her small lips and nodded. I sighed.

"C'mon, baby. Let's go."

* * *

Since I'd been here nearly all day, I was able to get myself a pretty good spot. Luckily, it wasn't raining tonight, or else they'd never've gotten the bonfire burning so well. Charlie and Renee had worked their butts off for the past six months, wanting to make this Bonfire Night the best in the history of Forks. Although last years was pretty darn good, too.

You could say I had a bit of a... bohemian upbringing. My parents are both a bit new age, and totally obsessed with their fireworks. That was what had bonded them in the first place. We moved around a lot when I was younger, but when I finished junior high we settled in Forks to take care of my ailing Grandma. Gran had died last summer, but we've been in Forks for so long now that moving seems silly. I'm not here that often, because I'm still in my last year of college. But I always come home for the holidays or big firework events. And Bonfire Night is about as big as they get.

My job has always been to stand in the crowd and make sure everything is looking right. When I was younger my mom would stay with me, but since I'm twenty-two now they deem me responsible enough to go solo. As long as I have my trusty cell phone, that is.

The field slowly filled up with people, all pushing to get to the front only to be stopped by the barrier we'd put up earlier. Forks Fire Department was on site too, of course, and come eight o'clock, everything was ready.

They started off with dinky little spurts of colour, before moving onto the more complex rockets and 'jets' as Charlie called them. His special recipe.

"Wow, daddy! Look at the colours!" I heard a little girl squeal from her father's shoulders as they stood beside me.

"I told you they'd be pretty, didn't I, Ricky-Roo?" he chuckled.

"How do they make them, daddy?"

"Errmmm... well," I giggled and smiled at them. Well, well, well, if it isn't the most perfect human I've ever laid eyes on. I didn't think people like him actually existed! Ah, he's wearing a wedding band. Pity. He caught me looking and grinned at me. At the same time a rocket set off a stream of red sparks, lighting up his face. Yeah, he was perfect. Perfect and taken.

"Daddyyyy, you didn't answer mee!" the little girl complained.

"Sorry, sweetpea," he said, pulling her off his shoulders and holding her on his side. "Well, you see... fireworks are made by very clever people. And you see, daddy's not very clever at all, so he doesn't know how they do it, I'm afraid." She grumbled.

"But you _are_ clever! You're a teacher, so you _must_ be clever," she said, and I forced back a groan of annoyance. Could this man _be_ more perfect? That wife of his was damn lucky. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out and pressed answer.

"Hey, dad."

"Hey, Bells, how's it looking from where you are?"

"Great. The Jets are doing their thing. How's it going back there?"

"Good, we're gunna fire off the _Lightning Strike_ a bit earlier."

"Are you sure? I mean the _Dragon Lights _are looking great, but shouldn't you leave a bit of a gap like we were planning? Otherwise it'll be too much at once."

"You sound just like your mother, y'know? Between you two it's a wonder I get anything my way."

"Well the reason is Mom and I are women, and therefore we are more into appearances than you. You just want a lot of loud noises and pretty lights." Charlie laughed and I leant forward onto the railing.

"Hey, your mom wants to speak to you," Charlie passed the phone to Renee.

"Hey Mom."

"Hello, Bella. Two things; one, we're going to wait with the lighting strike whether Charlie likes it or not, and two there's a man checking you out. To your left, he's got a little girl on his shoulders."

"Are you serious?" I laughed, surreptitiously looking over my shoulder at the godlike man, who had his daughter on his shoulders again. I was just in time to see him look away from me and up to the fireworks.

"He's very handsome, Bella," gushed Renee. I burst out laughing.

"Mom, ex-ney on the andsome-hey."

"Why?" I could almost hear her pouting.

"Arried-mey," I said simply, casting another glance over my shoulder at the handsome stranger.

"Ah, I see."

"Hey, shouldn't you be working, not spying on me and complete strangers with your binoculars?"

"Your father's got it covered."

"Sure, sure. Well _Dragon Lights_ is nearly over so you'd better go stop him from jumping the gun on _Lightning Strike."_ She laughed.

"Good idea, bye honey."

"Bye, Momma," I said, my old accent slipping through a little. We'd spent a lot of time in Alabama and below the bible belt when I was younger. I put my phone away and watched the last jet go up for _Dragon Lights_.

"Do _you _know how fireworks are made?" said a little voice in awe. Is it weird that I could recognise her voice already? I turned and smiled at the little girl as she sat on her father's shoulders.

"I sure do." She gasped; her little green eyes alight with excitement. She had the hood of her purple coat up, a blonde fringe sticking out over her forehead.

"Woow! You must be cleverer than my daddy then, coz he says that only very clever people know about fireworks are made." Her father chuckled at her and I shot him a quick smile before looking back up at his daughter.

"Well, how would you like me to tell you how they're made?" She gasped and nodded excitedly.

"Tell me! Tell me!"

"Erica, what do you say?" he said in his velvety voice. She bit her lip.

"Please? Please will you tell me how fireworks are made?" she asked, giving me the whole puppy dog eyes bit. I grinned.

"Well, seen as you asked so politely. Okay, well your daddy's right, firework makers are very clever people. They have to be, because making fireworks is very dangerous work. They get a special powder, called gunpowder, and they mix it up with some other special powders and put it in a little box made of cardboard. And they can put all types of powders in it, to change the colour and the shape and the size of the firework. Then, when the special mixture is in its little box, they put a piece of string into it and get a real long way away, and light the end of the string. And poof, fireworks."

"Why'd they have to go a long way away?" she asked, her little brow furrowing.

"Because fireworks might be nice and pretty to look at from here, but is you get too close they can hurt you, coz they're real hot. That's why you should always let your daddy or a grown up light them," I told her.

"So that way I don't get hurt, and it hurts Daddy instead?" she said brightly. I laughed, and so did her father.

"No, baby, it's because Daddy knows how to stay safe from fireworks and you don't. And because if I get hurt you can go get Grandpa to come fix me up," he answered, looking up at her.

"Oohhh," she said her eyes wide with comprehension. I smiled. He shifted her down into his arms again to give his neck a rest.

"How do you know all of that? My daddy didn't know and he's a teacher," she pouted at me.

"Well I know because my daddy taught me."

"How does he know?" she asked. I grinned at her.

"Can you keep a secret?" She nodded excitedly.

"My daddy knows because he's a firework maker." She gasped and her little mittened hands flew to her mouth as if I'd just told her the juiciest gossip.

"Wowww. That's so cool! Does your mommy do that too?" I nodded proudly at her.

"Yep. I'm a firework makers' daughter."

"Wow. My mommy always says that I'm a princess, but I'd much rather be a firework maker's daughter now," she pouted. I laughed.

"Well, where is your mommy?" I asked, suddenly wondering what on earth could be better than spending time with these two.

"I don't know, daddy says she's gone away for a while, but I know that she'll come back, because she loves me and she probably misses me a lot too," she said cheerfully. My heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach with sympathy as I saw the remorseful look on the man's face at his daughter's words. I bit my lip, internally hitting myself for bringing up such a painful subject. A loud bang from behind us made me jump and squeal, it seemed we had reached the end of _Lighting Strike_ and were now moving onto _Rings of Fire_. Seriously, we had to stop Renee from naming these things. My phone buzzed again in my pocket. I pulled it out and shot them a quick smile before answering.

"Before you ask, I wasn't really watching. But if you want I can ask some people what they thought."

"Never mind that, Bella! You're talking to him! What's he like? What about his wife?" I rolled my eyes and leaned forward on the railings again. Did she really expect me to talk about this when he was _right there!?_

"Auf Deutsch?" I asked. We were all fluent, as Renee's parents lived in Berlin.

"Natűrlich."

"Ja, er ist sehr nett, und seine Tochter ist wunderbar..."

"Aber?"

"Mutti, du bist sehr unhőflish! Es ist nicht dein Geschaft!"

"Ja, ja. Und seine Frau?" I sighed.

"Seine Frau... ist tod." Renee was silent for a moment.

"Schade," she says sadly.

"Ja, eine grosse schade," I sighed.

"Verzeihung, ich muss gehe."

"Tchuss, Mutti. Ich leibe dich."

"Ich leibe dich auch, meine Lieblingstochter."

"Ich bin deine Einzeltochter."

"Ja... naturlich. Tchuss." She laughed and hung up. I laughed and slid my phone back into me pocket.

"Sie sprechen Deutsch ȁhnlich eine Einwohner," said a velvety voice in my ear. My heart stopped and I could almost feel my face paint a dark red as I turned wide eyes to look at him.

* * *

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and gave us a quick apologetic look before answering.

"Before you ask, I wasn't really watching. But if you want I can ask some people what they thought." I held back a laugh, of course she hadn't been watching. She had been talking to Erica and me. She leant forward on the railings as either her mother or father replied. I tried to focus on the fireworks rather than her... rather interesting position. I was a bit surprised at myself, I hadn't really felt the urge to look at other women since Tanya passed.

"Auf Deutsch?" she asked tentatively. How strange... what could they be saying that would need to be said in German? I decided, being the nosy man I am, to put my skills to the test. I am, after all, a German teacher.

"_Yes, he's very nice, and his daughter is wonderful..."_ My eyebrows rose as Erica oohed and ahhed at the fireworks. Where they talking about us...?

_"Mom you're so nosy! It's none of your business!"_ she paused again.

"_His wife... is dead."_ My heart gave a small pull at the mention of Tanya. How I missed her... But the tone in the girls voice as she said it... so sad, and mournful. As if Tanya had been someone she had known herself, someone she had cared for.

"_Yes, a great shame,"_ still in the same sad tone. Not pitying, _knowing._

"_Bye, Mom. I love you."_

_"I'm your only daughter!"_ Okay, maybe I needed to hear the other part to understand that bit. She hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket. I shifted Erica back onto my shoulders and stepped forward to the girl's side.

"_You speak German like a native,"_ I said in her ear. She froze, and in the light of the fireworks I saw her face turn crimson. I couldn't help but grin at the site of the blush on her beautiful cheeks. She turned slowly to look at me, kinda looking a bit shell shocked.

"Wie bitte?" I grinned again at her weak tone.

"Ich bin eine Deutschlehre," I said slightly smugly. I held out my hand.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Edward Cullen, and this is my daughter Erica." She unfroze and took my hand.

"Isabella Swan. Bella, I prefer Bella," she correct herself. I grinned again, her hand felt very nice against my skin. She released it all too soon and looked out at the fireworks that were drawing to a close.

"So, how does a firework maker's daughter who speaks with a bit of a southern twang speak near perfect German?" I asked, leaning carefully on the railings, the same way she was. She smiled briefly at me.

"My Mom's side of the family are German, they live in Berlin. We move around a lot, well we used to. The majority of my childhood was spent in the southern states, and we moved up north when I was in my teens. We settled here, to look after my Nanna and for me to go to High School. Now we just don't see much point in moving really. I don't spend much time here anyway, what with college, so it's nice to have a sort of permanent home, I guess."

"Where are you studying?"

"New York."

"That's a long way away," I pointed out stupidly. She laughed.

"Wow, good thing you don't teach Geography." I laughed too.

"Good point. I think they asked me to cover a class once but I talked my way out of it. Blinded them with my knowledge." She laughed again. It was a beautiful noise, the only thing I enjoyed more than her laugh was her talking. "So what are you studying?"

"Majoring in journalism, with a minor in German, and I do a bit of dance on the side."

"Dance? You don't seem like the sort," I said. She blushed again.

"Years of ballet lessons finally pay off. Anyway, I'm in my last year now, so I'm moving home next summer."

"And after that?"

"I dunno... I guess I'll help out my parents with the business, and I'll get myself a _real_ job, I suppose. I don't really have a plan, at the moment. Just taking it as it comes."

I nodded.

"That's probably wise... you can spend your whole life planning, and never get anything done." Just like Tanya. Bella smiled softly at me.

"I suppose... but on the other hand, if you have a plan you know things are going to get better when the going gets tough. If you don't have a plan then you're just kinda... stuck." She got a sad look, and her eyes glistened over a little. I frowned.

"You speak from experience, I take it?" She nodded with a sad smile.

"My best friend died a couple years back. Spinal cancer."

"I'm sorry," I said, taking her hand in mine instinctively. She didn't pull away like I expected her, she just gently squeezed mine back.

"Thanks... I'm sorry about your wife. I know losing a best friend and losing a spouse are kinda different, but..."

"No, they're not that different. Tanya was my best friend."

"How did she...?" she asked softly.

"Car crash. Last March. Erica doesn't really understand it; she thinks she's going to come back one day." I tried to stop the tears from filling my eyes as I spoke. Bella noticed my broken expression, gently giving my hand a squeeze and wrapping her free arm around me.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I really am." For that moment, I let myself forget all about Tanya. I couldn't dwell on the past forever. I just thought of how nice it felt to have Bella's arms around me, and have Erica safe on my shoulders.

And for that one moment, everything felt incredibly... right.

**A/N oka,y this'll probs be just a one shot unless you want me to write more :) reviews are loved, as always**

**and here's the german bits, fi my german ain't perfect -**

**_"Auf Deutsch?" - In German?_**

**_"Natűrlich." - Naturally/ Obviously etc_**

**_"Ja, er ist sehr nett, und seine Tochter ist wunderbar..." - Yes, he's very nice, and his daughter is wonderful..._**

**_"Aber?" - but?_**

**_"Mutti, du bist sehr unhőflish! Es ist nicht dein Geschaft!" - Mom, you're so nosy! It's none of your business_**

**_"Ja, ja. Und seine Frau?" - yey, yes. And his wife?_**

**_"Seine Frau... ist tod." - his wife... is dead_**

**_"Schade," - shame_**

**_"Ja, eine grosse schade," - yes a great shame_**

**_"Verzeihung, ich muss gehe." - sorry I have to go_**

**_"Tchuss, Mutti. Ich leibe dich." - bye Mom, i love you_**

**_"Ich leibe dich auch, meine Lieblingstochter." - I love you too my favouite daughter._**

**_"Ich bin deine Einzeltochter." - I'm your only daughter._**

**_"Ja... naturlich. Tchuss." - yes... of course. Bye_**

**_"Sie sprechen Deutsch ȁhnlich eine Einwohner," - you speak German like a native_**

**_"Wie bitte?" - excuse me/ pardon_**

**_"Ich bin eine Deutschlehre" - I'm a German Teacher_**

**hugs and kisses :)**


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